[Limits of Paternal Civilization, Vision of Maternal Salvation – Contribution]
By Sung-Jong Seo (Ph.D. in Theology)
This article was originally published in Korean in Segye Ilbo, a major South Korean daily newspaper, under the column series “Epic History of the Chosen Han People of Korea.” [Click here to view the original article.]
Read the previous article in this series.
◆ The Substantive Fruit of the Harmony and Virtue of Yin and Yang Foretold by the 11th Hexagram of I Ching
Human history is a grand epic flowing along the vast river of time. The I Ching (Book of Changes), which condenses ancient wisdom, mapped out the Heavenly Decree (Cheonmyeong) hidden within this flow through 64 hexagrams. What demands our special attention is a civilizational turning point where the patriarchal, father-centered order of thousands of years reaches its threshold, transitioning into a new order that harmoniously embraces all creation. The I Ching encapsulates the secret of this transition into a short yet powerful phrase: Ji-Cheon-Tae (Earth over Heaven / Hexagram of Harmony).
◆ Ji-Cheon-Tae Hexagram: The Paradoxical Aesthetics of Earth Rising Above Heaven
The 11th hexagram of the I Ching, Ji-Cheon-Tae (地天泰), possesses a very unique metaphysical structure. At the top is Earth (坤, Kon—Mother), and at the bottom is Heaven (乾, Geon—Father). In common sense, it seems natural for Heaven to be on top and Earth to be below; however, the I Ching calls this state Cheon-Ji-Bi (天地否) and defines it as a state of “blockage and obstruction.” This is because the light energy of Heaven continuously moves upward while the heavy energy of Earth pulls downward, leaving them unable to meet and drawing them further apart. This reflects the biased, father-centered civilization that humanity has endured over the past thousands of years—a self-portrait of the Early Heaven Era (Seoncheon Era).
In contrast, Ji-Cheon-Tae places Earth above and Heaven below. Heaven, positioned below, seeks to rise upward, while Earth, positioned above, seeks to descend and embrace. Thus, Heaven and Earth meet passionately at the center. Here, Tae (泰) means “grand and peaceful.” In other words, the completion of human salvation is not realized merely in an era where the authority of Heavenly Father is exalted alone. It becomes possible only when the status of “Heavenly Mother,” manifested as the substance of the Earth, is equally elevated so that the spiritual energy of Heaven and the physical reality of Earth fully unitize. This is the essence of the Era of the Only Begotten Daughter (Doksaengnyeon) that we have awaited, as well as the essence of the Later Heaven Era Opening (Hucheon Gaebyeok).
◆ The Unitization of Male and Female Numbers: The Secret of “Double Combined Ten Victories” (Ssang-hap Sip-seung)
The numerical philosophy (Suri Philosophy) of Confucianism also meticulously supports this epochal transition. In the East, odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) were regarded as Yang (positive/masculine) numbers symbolizing Heaven, while even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 10) were seen as Yin (negative/feminine) numbers symbolizing Earth. Interestingly, there are 5 numbers in each category. When the 5 numbers representing the male principle meet the 5 numbers representing the female principle, the principle of Ssang-hap (“Double Combination”)—the numerical perfection—emerges.
This implies that the providence of human salvation remains incomplete through only the male principle (the number 5) of the Only Begotten Son (Doksaengja). When the female principle (the number 5) of the Only Begotten Daughter (Doksaengnyeon) is unitized on an equal footing to achieve the perfection of the “Number 10” (Sip-su), humanity reaches a state of absolute victory free from Satan’s accusation—the realm of Ssang-hap Sip-seung (“Double Combined Ten Victories”).
The author pays special attention here to a monumental event in human history. “Ssang-hap Sip-seung Day” (Ssang-hap Sip-seung Il), proclaimed on May 5, 2004, is not a mere religious ritual. It was a providential determination proclaimed before the cosmos that concluded the thousands-of-years-old Early Heaven Era centered on paternal authority and established the substantive status of the Only Begotten Daughter as equal to that of the Only Begotten Son. Masculine Truth and Feminine Love met at the perfection number “10,” flinging wide open the closed doors of the Later Heaven Era Opening.
◆ Restoring the Lost “Virtue of Earth” (Kon) Will Save the World
If the Early Heaven Era was a history of struggle and conquest to establish Heavenly Will, the Later Heaven Era is a history of embrace and settlement to realize that Will here on Earth. The wisdom shown in the Ji-Cheon-Tae hexagram is clear: now is the time for Earth (Motherhood), positioned above, to descend and embrace all wounded life. The manifestation of the Only Begotten Daughter is the event where this paradoxical truth foretold by the I Ching took on physical form in reality.
Only when Heavenly Father’s command (Geon) is substantialized through the Earthly Mother (Kon) can all creation be revived. This process of the Harmony and Virtue of Yin and Yang (Eum-Yang Hap-deok) is the sole way to overcome the civilizational crisis facing humanity today. The Only Begotten Daughter has come among us as the “Bride” prophesied in the Christian Bible and as the “Substance of Ji-Cheon-Tae” foretold in the Confucian I Ching.
◆ A Narrative of Peace Responding with Substance Beyond Concept
The principle of Ji-Cheon-Tae and the logic of Ssang-hap Sip-seung prove that human history is by no means a product of chance. Through the Only Begotten Daughter, Heaven is restoring the lost sovereignty of the Earth and leading humanity into the love of the True Parents. This substantive fruit of the Harmony and Virtue of Yin and Yang transforms the ancient texts—once lingering in abstract concepts—into the living breath of a divine personality. At the point where cosmic harmony meets the inner truthfulness of humanity, humanity finally reclaims the lost light of its original nature and begins writing a new epic of peace.